In work apparatuses having a drive motor, it is known to provide an inhibitor for the operating element for operating the drive motor, in particular for the gas throttle. An inhibitor of this type can be, for example, a gas throttle inhibitor which is arranged so as to lie opposite the operating element or an inhibitor button which is arranged to the side of or adjacently to the handle. Inhibitors are known which have to be held in the actuated state permanently. Inhibitors are also known which have to be pressed in order to actuate the gas throttle and return into their inhibited position again when the gas throttle is released. As a result, the inhibitor button has to be pressed before every actuation of the gas throttle. The known inhibitors are therefore not ergonomic. It is also known to provide, in addition to the gas throttle inhibitor, a further inhibiting device which blocks the operating element. The further inhibiting device can be actuated, for example, via a sliding switch. The sliding switch has to be reset actively into the inhibited position by the operator. This requires an additional operating step by the operator.